Jun-06-11 Department of Labor and Goodwill Industries Help Single Homemakers Get Back to Work

NEWARK, June 6, 2011 -- Single parents who are forced to find jobs in these tough economic times will find help through a new program launched today in Newark by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, Inc.

Called “Goodwill Works,” the program opened its doors today on the 4th Floor at 972 Broad Street with a ribbon cutting ceremony that included Department of Labor Commissioner Harold J. Wirths, Goodwill Industries Senior Vice President Kirsten Giardi, Goodwill Works Program Director Lorna Tangara and other dignitaries.

The program will assist single parents, specifically homemakers who have been out of the job market for years, but whose personal circumstances are forcing them to return to work. Candidates will be given the tools they need to find employment, succeed in the workplace and support their families.

“We are helping those people who had spent years at home caring for their children and families, but who now must find a job because of divorce, the death of a spouse, domestic violence, abandonment or some other problems forcing them to work to support themselves and their families,” said Commissioner Wirths.

The Department of Labor, the Essex County and Newark One-Stop Career Centers and the department’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation will identify and refer displaced homemakers to Goodwill Works. In turn, Goodwill Works will offer training, find jobs for the candidates and assist them in dealing with problems impacting their ability to retain employment, such as the lack of child care, literacy, vocational skills and transportation.

“The Goodwill Works program helps displaced homemakers and families by providing more than a job, giving each parent the full set of tools they need to support their family today and in the future,” said Goodwill Senior Vice President Kirsten Giardi.

The Department of Labor has partnered with Goodwill in the past to help people hampered by personal or social barriers to employment. This new program was made possible with a $750,000 Pilot and Demonstration Grant issued by the Department of Labor in March using federal Workforce Investment Act funds.

The program uses a “customized training” approach toward employment, developing individualized plans for each candidate to train for employment, obtain work, retain the job and advance in their employment to acquire financial stability.

The training will focus on key industry sectors, steering some candidates toward retail and customer service positions. Others will be trained in telecommunications, including fiber-optics, cable installations, digital telephone services and home audio systems.

Another option will be “entrepreneurial training,” enabling some candidates to start their own businesses or work from home.

“Divorced women, as a group, are often in an extreme category of poverty. It’s admirable that New Jersey is giving these women some support and services to rebuild their lives and strengthen their families,” said Giardi.

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is an equal employment opportunity employer and provides equal opportunity programs.
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